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Lance Blanks -- a Univ. of Texas men's basketball legend who later in life worked as the Phoenix Suns' general manager -- has died, TMZ Sports has learned.

A spokesperson for the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas tells us ... Blanks passed away on Wednesday.

A cause and manner of death are not yet known ... the rep said exam results are still pending.

Blanks began his collegiate hoops career at the Univ. of Virginia in 1985 ... but transferred to Texas after two seasons, and became a superstar there. In his two years at UT in 1988 and 1989, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was later inducted into Texas' Hall of Honor in 2007.

The shooting guard went on to be selected by the Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft following his UT career ... and played three seasons in the league for Detroit and Minnesota.

He later played overseas -- before he returned to the States to work as an exec in the NBA.

Blanks spent time as the director of scouting for the San Antonio Spurs, before he became the Cleveland Cavaliers' assistant general manager. In 2010, he was named the GM of the Suns.

Years after he left his role in Phoenix in 2013, he signed on to broadcast UT games for the Longhorn Network.

Former NFL star Eric Metcalf, a UT alum and Blanks' good friend, appeared to comment on Blanks' passing on Thursday on Twitter ... writing, "Everyone hug your family and friends and tell them you love them. We lost a dear friend and brother. People are going through things and you never know it!!!"

Several of Blanks' family members, including his two daughters, released statements on his passing late Thursday afternoon.

"My dad was my person," Riley Blanks Reed said. "He was my teacher, my idol, my best friend. The love I have for him is simply immeasurable."

Added Bryn Blanks Lewis, "My heart aches for the tragic loss of my daddy. He was our father, our rock, our superhero -- the one who was there when we needed him most. Life will never be the same without him."

Blanks was 56 years old.

Erik and Lyle Menendez have at least 2 new pieces of evidence backing their claim their father was molesting them, and their new high-powered attorney says it's enough for them to get a new trial ... and perhaps a new verdict.

The Menendez brothers' attorney Mark Geragos joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," explaining why a recently discovered letter written by Erik, as well as the rape claims made by former Menudo member Roy Rossello, are both crucial if they get their day back in court.

He says either piece of evidence -- the letter or Rossello's allegation -- could've resulted in a way different outcome in the 90s. Remember, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

As we reported, new legal docs filed by Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, reference Rossello's claim he was drugged and raped by the brothers' father, Jose. The petition also points to a letter Erik wrote to a cousin months before they shot their parents in which he says his father was molesting them.

We asked Geragos, hypothetically, if a judge grants the brothers a new trial ... how would he address the fact Erik and Lyle still premeditatively killed not only Jose, but their mother, Kitty, as well. He had a very interesting response.

Sonia Pizarro, famous for her starring role on the reality TV show "Operation Repo," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sonia's niece, Lyndah Pizarro -- who was also on the show -- tells us Sonia died Wednesday night in Arizona in her sleep.

Sonia's ex-husband, fellow "Operation Repo" star Froylan Tercero, is remembering her as "a bad ass chick that kicked some serious ass."

Froylan adds ... "She will always have a place in my heart and on my body since I still have her name tattooed on my stomach, Sonia we love you and I will honor you with all the good mementos you gave me, thank you and I love you."

While she's most known for her work on the TruTV series, Sonia also acted in movies ... including 2009's "Repo Chick" and, most recently, the 2018 flick "Followed."

Sonia's had major health issues in the past ... back in May 2018 she was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Lyndah tells us Sonia did not die as a result of complications from the stroke.

Sonia leaves behind 3 children -- Ruby, Robert and Froylan Jr. -- as well as her grandchildren ... Bryant, Brie and Danica.

She was 60.

The Kid LAROI wants to make things right and THEN some after bailing on a recent restaurant tab -- not only by paying the bill -- but by also including an extremely generous tip.

Sources close to LAROI tell us it was actually his security team who was supposed to provide a card for his meal Tuesday night at Dublin's Pass Irish Pub & Restaurant in Springfield, Missouri ... but somehow, they forgot to get things squared away.

Our sources say LAROI and his team realized the mistake after reading our story, and reached out to restaurant staffers first thing Thursday morning.

We're told not only did LAROI cover the $133.58 bill, he also tipped their server from the night, Monique, a whopping $2,500 for all the trouble.

TMZ broke the story, LAROI and a group of buddies went to the eatery after his show, and pigged out on wings, mac & cheese, brownies and more before taking off with an open bill.

Lisa Vanderpump's famous Pump Restaurant Lounge in West Hollywood is closing up shop.

The Pump Family tells TMZ ... "It's with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees."

While the flagship location at the corner of Santa Monica and Robertson in the heart of WeHo is closing, we're told Lisa is opening two more restaurants at Caesars in Las Vegas.

It appears a dramatic increase in rent is to blame, the Pump Family tells us ... "While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable."

Sources close to the family tell TMZ  … Lisa and her husband Ken Todd refused to commit to paying nearly $1 million in yearly rent, with the couple considering the figure to be ridiculous.

Our sources say high rent is also to blame for Lisa and Ken's former Beverly Hills restaurant, Villa Blanca remaining empty 3 years after the couple closed the restaurant because of a rent increase in 2020.

We're told Lisa wanted to keep Pump open through June, because it's Pride Month and she wants to "support the local community with one last hurrah."

Lisa and Ken still have a couple other restaurants in the area ... Sur and TomTom ... and the Pump Family says, "We look forward to welcoming you all to TomTom & Sur in the months following! Thank you for the past decade of support, we have loved our staff, our patrons and our time together."

Pump's been featured in many scenes on "Vanderpump Rules" over the years, and it's hosted tons of celebs ... including Lance Bass and Lady Gaga.

Kevin Costner has become the target of nasty rumors since his wife filed for divorce, including one accusing the actor of getting a woman working on the set of "Yellowstone" pregnant ... a tale we're told could not be further from the truth.

Sources close to Costner say the latest bit of gossip surrounding the star is "total BS," and has been baselessly circulating online.

It's unclear who started the rumor, or even who Costner allegedly got pregnant, but the fake story has been buzzing on social media since his wife, Christine, filed for divorce Monday.

One Twitter user wrote, "I wonder now, if the drama surrounding Kevin Costner and Yellowstone 'scheduling,' was due to the rumor of him potentially getting someone on set pregnant?" Another said, "So it wasn’t Bentley who got a girl pregnant on the Yellowstone set ... it was Costner."

TMZ broke the story, Costner was blindsided by Christine's filing ... the actor's rep made that clear in telling us, " ... circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action."

We're told Kevin had no prior warning Christine was filing to end their 18-year marriage, and he's still in the dark.

In her divorce docs, Christine lists the date of separation as last month -- they got hitched back in 2004. Interesting, since sources say Kevin had no inkling the marriage was ending.

Costner filed a response to the divorce petition in which the prenup is referenced requiring  Christine to vacate Kevin's 3 homes.

NFL star Taylor Lewan claims Dr. James Andrews -- arguably the most notable sports surgeon on the planet -- is the one who botched his ACL surgery two and a half years ago.

According to the lawsuit the former Tennessee Titans left tackle filed this week in Florida, Lewan said Andrews caused permanent damage when the doc operated on his right knee after the O-lineman injured it during a game against the Houston Texans in October 2020.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ Sports on Thursday, Lewan says Andrews, among other things, failed to create a proper tunnel position in his knee, damaged cartilage and didn't fix all of his injuries during the operation.

Lewan says it all resulted in severe pain and disability ... and ultimately cut his NFL career short.

The 31-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler is asking for what could potentially be huge damages in the suit ... he was in the middle of a five-year, $80 million contract at the time of the surgery.

The allegations are shocking ... considering Andrews' resume. If you're unfamiliar, the 80-year-old doc -- who works for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Washington Commanders and the Auburn Tigers -- has operated on star athletes such as Michael Jordan, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson for decades with great success.

Lewan spoke generally about the claims on his "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast earlier this week ... saying the whole situation has "sucked."

Lewan -- one of the best linemen in the NFL prior to his 2020 injury -- played in just 15 total games following the surgery ... before he reinjured the knee in Week 2 last season.

The Kid LAROI left his server hanging with a triple-digit bill after fleeing an Irish pub & restaurant -- that's what the pissed-off manager of the watering hole is claiming.

LAROI performed Tuesday night in Springfield, MO, and afterward, he and a group of buddies went to Dublin's Pass Irish Pub & Restaurant for some food and drink.

The joint's manager, Autumn Gray, tells TMZ ... the Aussie rapper was kind to all her staff and patrons at first, even posing for photos with some excited fans -- but, ultimately, they seated LAROI and co. in a private room.

Autumn says the group ran up their bill ordering chicken wings, mac & cheese, brownies and more ... and, although they stepped outside for smoke breaks during the meal, they assured their server they weren't leaving.

Of course, that's precisely what happened according to the restaurant. When their server tried to get a head start on bussing dishes from the table ... they discovered everyone had bolted.

As soon as the manager found out about the dine and dash, she says they searched the premises but TKL and his entourage were long gone.

The total bill was $133.58 and while Autumn acknowledges it might have been a careless mistake by LAROI, she points out servers make most of their money through tips ... so, it's messed up one of her employees did all that work for free.

Autumn says she tried contacting TKL, but hasn't gotten a response. We also reached out to a rep, and so far ... no word back.

Brandon T. Jackson is sending up prayers for his friend Jamie Foxx, saying JF's hospitalization ... coupled with the pressure on comedians is starting to scare him.

We caught up with the actor/comedian Wednesday at LAX, and he offered up some words of encouragement to Jamie following the mysterious health condition that's landed him in a hospital for more than 3 weeks.

Brandon spoke directly to Jaimie, saying, "I love you. My prayers are with you and your family" ... and he actually took a moment to pray on camera.

He added, as a fellow comedian, he wants folks to understand the fast-paced lifestyle of the industry ... something that's starting to frighten him.

Of course, Jamie's ailment remains a total mystery and there's no word what he's battling or what caused it. Still, BTJ says it's important for entertainers to take care of themselves with healthy doses of sleep and moderation.

As we reported, Jamie suffered what his family called a "medical emergency" on April 12, and has remained in the hospital. He finally broke his silence Wednesday with an IG post, saying ..."Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed."

Dr. Dre's OG secret rap weapon, The D.O.C., has been trying to get his life story out into the world, and thinks he's nearing the finish line after a bit of friction.

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to the "No One Can Do It Better" rapper in the wake of his outburst over the delay of his self-titled film, which screened during the Tribeca Festival ... damn near a year ago.

D.O.C. tells us the forces standing in the way of releasing "The DOC" have subsided, and he's now looking for a suitable distributor for the film. He wants fans to know it features appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube and Dre that are life-changing ... to the core.

The Dallas rapper turned West Coast transplant, infamously damaged his vocal cords in a 1989 car accident, but has since resumed his rap career ... raspy flow and all. Just last month, he rapped on Codefendants' rap/rock mash-up track, "Fast Ones."

It's because he's gotten back on the mic, D.O.C. tells us he's at peace with not using AI to answer the "what if" on his career course -- even though his inbox is flooded with daily requests to license his voice for an AI recording.

Having been around during the glory and the gory days, we also got D.O.C.'s take on Suge Knight's claim Daz Dillinger actually produced Snoop's "Doggystyle" and let Dre take the credit.

Cops in Alabama say their initial report of Michael Jefferson's car crash was wrong ... telling TMZ Sports on Wednesday they now believe the 2023 NFL Draft prospect was the one who was impaired on the night of the tragic wreck last month.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says it somehow mixed up the drivers of the two vehicles in its first report of the fatal car accident on April 9 in Mobile County, AL.

Initially, the ALEA claimed Jefferson was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Impala ... before Charles Dunn slammed head-on into it in his 2014 Dodge Charger.

Now, however, the ALEA says Jefferson was actually driving the Charger -- while Dunn was in the Impala.

That means, according to the crash report, cops suspect Jefferson was the one who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs at the time of the accident -- not Dunn.

It also means, per a diagram of the crash in the report, that Jefferson (labeled Unit 1) is the one who was traveling in a southbound lane before moving into Dunn's northbound lane, headed in the wrong direction, before colliding with the 55-year-old (labeled Unit 2) head-on.

As we reported, Dunn died as a result of the crash. Jefferson -- a former star wideout at Louisiana who was in line to get drafted last month before the wreck -- sustained significant injuries that required several surgeries.

Police told us an investigation into the crash remains ongoing. According to the report, the 23-year-old's blood was taken following the crash, but the results have not yet come back.

Meanwhile, Jefferson's attorney, Brad Sohn, told us on Wednesday he had "absolutely no reason to believe that Michael Jefferson is under criminal investigation or has ever been under investigation."

Dunn's family told us in a statement they now want a public apology from Jefferson and his representatives ... adding, "Charles Dunn never drank or smoked in his life and we would like for his name to be cleared."

Kevin Costner's pending divorce came as news to many, including himself.

Sources familiar tell us the "Yellowstone" actor was completely blindsided by Christine Baumgartner's divorce filing Monday -- we're told it was devastating for him.

Kevin's shock and surprise are evident in his rep's statement ... "It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action."

TMZ broke the story ... Christine filed to end their 18-year marriage Monday, citing "irreconcilable differences." There's a prenup, and one of the provisions is that Christine must vacate Kevin's homes. He has 3 of them and they own nothing jointly. So Christine must pack up and leave all his homes, based on the time schedule set by the prenup.

It's entirely unsurprising the prenup segregates Kevin's properties. His first marriage ended in a record-setting divorce ... costing him around $80 million.

It's unclear exactly why Christine is pulling the plug on their marriage, but we know it was all news to Kevin.

Carrie Fisher's brother says he'd be well within his rights to show up to her Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony and cause a fuss over getting snubbed from attending ... but he's opting to keep things "classy" in honor of his late sister.

Todd Fisher joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him why he and Carrie's sisters are officially off the guest list for the big event Thursday on Hollywood Blvd.

Todd says he doesn't know what's behind the snub ... but strongly hinted it's Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, calling the shots. He admits they don't really have a relationship these days, but seems genuinely puzzled as to why.

There's definitely some bad blood ... Carrie's sisters, Joely Fisher, and Tricia Leigh Fisher ripped Billie on social media for the snub. Todd seemed to be trying to play nice, as he would only say he hasn't talked to his niece since she ghosted an invite almost 3 years ago to visit a dying relative.

Todd says he's the one who got the ball rolling on Carrie getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was shocked when he found out he didn't make the 30-person guest list.

Former Team USA track star Tori Bowie was found dead inside her home, TMZ Sports has learned ... after her loved ones told cops they were concerned they hadn't heard from her in several days.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida, officers conducted a well-being check at Bowie's home Tuesday afternoon. When authorities arrived at the residence, they made entry ... and found the three-time Olympic medalist deceased. A preliminary investigation showed no foul play was involved.

A cause and manner of death are not yet known -- the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office tells us they're still investigating the matter.

Bowie's management team said Wednesday they were crushed to learn of her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the agency said. "Tori was a champion … a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

Bowie -- a two-time NCAA long jump champion who won three medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil -- was just 32 years old.

Jamie Foxx remains hospitalized more than 3 weeks after suffering a medical emergency, and those closest to him say he needs all the prayers and well-wishes his fans can muster.

While his exact condition remains secret -- tightly guarded by his family -- we've spoken with sources close to Jamie who echo the same plea -- "Pray for Jamie."

It was April 12 when Foxx's daughter, Corinne, announced her father suffered a "medical complication."

Jamie is one of the most prolific players in Hollywood, and his condition has sent studios scrambling.

Jamie has been the host of the hugely popular "Beat Shazam" music lyric game show on FOX, which was going into production just days after he was hospitalized.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Jamie will not be on this season of "Beat Shazam." We're told filming starts today, with a new host. We're also told Corinne, who DJs on the show, will not be on as well -- she's been a fixture at the hospital in Atlanta by her dad's side.

As we reported, Jamie was in Atlanta for work on the film "Back in Action" when he fell ill, a stunt double and body double have been seen filling in for Jamie for that project.

Consequence is buggin' out over A Tribe Called Quest's 2nd consecutive snub from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and says he and the group won't be disrespected a third time!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Cons Wednesday as he stood outside the famed ATCQ mural in Queens, NY ... on the group's Linden Boulevard stomping grounds.

The veteran rapper acknowledged the newest inductees -- including a history-making Missy Elliott -- but blasted the HOF committee for embarrassing the group's legacy, and seems to feel a bit of race-baiting is at play ... with ATCQ dangling on the hook.

Cons also took exception with Billboard's take that Tribe needs to make a bigger fuss to get the committee's rock-minded and majorly white voting base on its side.

Always the team player, Cons tells us he's willing to lead any public campaign necessary to secure the Rock Hall nod and will go to bat for his cousin Q-Tip and the late Phife Dawg any day of the year.